Employee Benefit News back issues from May 2008:
Employers must tighten the purse strings to push health records.
May 01, 2008 ... My sister currently is planning her wedding. She and my mother are differing on the size and scope - read: cost - of the big day. However, in most debates over beef versus seafood and a four-tiered cake versus three-tiered, my mom generally wins. Why? Because she's paying. ...
Readers express mixed views on dependent audits.
May 01, 2008 ... An employer's dilemma I just read your editorial about dependent audits ("Dependent audits elicit growls from protective mama bear," EBN March) with much interest. For employers, it really is a dilemma. Yes, year after year we face the prospect of increasing costs, and we do ...
What do I need to do to get you into this health care FSA today?
May 01, 2008; ... The good old-fashioned flexible spending account has more to offer than ever. Using one saves on taxes, instills good habits for any potential future dominated by health savings accounts and is a real piece of cake, compared to trying to get the $50 mail-in rebate on the flat-screen ...
Ask the Auditor: Helpful tips on creating efficient, cost-effective compliance audits.
May 01, 2008; ... In an ever-increasing regulatory landscape, SAS 70 audits can result in excessive fees and wasteful man-hours for your organization, but it doesn't have to be that way. The health and benefits industry is feeling the financial burden and pressure in meeting today's compliance ...
Product tester: EBN takes new recruiting tool for a test-drive.
May 01, 2008; ... Companies worried about a talent or labor shortage can breathe a small sigh of relief ... or can they? Research by CareerBuilder.com found that 22% of employers will rehire retirees from other companies in 2008, while 14% plan on offering incentives to keep older workers ....
Effects of Japan's aging population on HR management and benefits similar to U.S. experience.
May 01, 2008 ... Japan has one of the fastest-aging societies in the world. According to the National Institute of Population and Social Security Research, Japanese over 65 years old make up about 21% of the country's population. They are projected to rise to 27% in 2018 and to 35% in 2050. ...
Calling all innovators: Modern health care consumer craves personalization, high value and technology, Deloitte survey finds.
May 01, 2008; ... Consumers want the same qualities from health care that they do from most commodities- personalization, quality service and high value for cost- but they aren't currently getting it, states new research from Deloitte's 2008 Survey of Health Care Consumers. "Americans no longer ...
Employers broaden total rewards.
May 01, 2008 ... The economic downturn and increased competition for the best talent are leading companies to adopt a more holistic approach to total rewards. They are going beyond benefits and compensation and incorporating elements such as career planning, performance management, employee training and ...
Employers honored for best adoption benefits.
May 01, 2008 ... Two years ago, Michelle Kaiser adopted two daughters, a journey that was bolstered by a contribution from her employer. "If more businesses offer financial assistance, more forever families will be formed," she says. "Employers can change the life of a child by simply offering ...
Group life insurance toils to survive.
May 01, 2008 ... Group life insurance isn't down and out, but it has hit some bumps in the road in recent years, as employers have focused their concentration on rising health care costs. Despite benefit trends to cut company-paid benefits, group life insurance still remains one of the three ...
Big business vows to leave sizable imprint on health.
May 01, 2008 ... Employers' ideas of health care reform sometimes don't mesh with politicians' ideas, especially in the nation's capital. At the 2008 Business Health Agenda, a three-day conference in March sponsored by the National Business Group on Health, benefit executives and leaders from ...
Beefing up your benefits communication: Keeping workers engaged throughout the year.
May 01, 2008; ... Beginning this month and running through the end of June, Employee Benefit News will be bringing you "Benefits Boot Camp," articles on communication, wellness programs and voluntary benefits to help you make 2009's process the best ever. Benefits communications professionals ...
Communicating the value of benefits helps offset anxiety of tough economic times.
May 01, 2008; ... In 1977, the Mel Brooks comedy "High Anxiety" swept across the nation's movie screens. Revolving around characters in the Psychoneurotic Institute for the Very, Very Nervous, the film had America laughing. A shade more than three decades later, high anxiety once again is ...
The heat is on.
May 01, 2008 ... While fewer employers are wrestling with double-digit health insurance cost increases this year - as the average hovers around 7% - much pain is still being felt through the ranks of America's business community. Many benefits brokers and advisors not only share that pain, but also are ...
Keeping tabs on consumer-directed health plans.
May 01, 2008 ... Six years ago, most employers probably wouldn't have said that their biggest health care challenge stems from their workers' poor health habits. This year it ranked at the top of the list in a survey by the National Business Group on Health and Watson Wyatt, which examines ...
Employers call health coverage gap biggest threat to America, more so than global warming and other celebrity causes.
May 01, 2008; ... Much of the health care discussion seems academic, but employers increasingly see the debate in far simpler terms. Am I responsible for making my workers healthier? If so, what's the best way to do it? Earlier intervention remains key for many. At a recent gathering of ...
Closing loopholes: How to make your PBM more accountable.(Conference notes)
May 01, 2008 ... By drafting a new contract to close various loopholes, employers can get the transparency they deserve from their pharmacy benefit manager, experts say. "Just about every contract that exists with a PBM is stuffed with loopholes" in the definitions, pricing and rebates, said ...
Benefits finance: Is a self-insured health plan right for your company?
May 01, 2008; ... No matter what size your company is, you've probably wondered if you could profit from self-funding your health insurance. It's no secret that higher deductibles on other insurance products can reduce your fixed costs and give you a chance to be in control of your own claims ...
Beyond Branding: Generic dispensing programs continue to save on Rx benefit costs.
May 01, 2008; ... While the prescription drug component of employee benefit plans still exceeds medical cost increases, recent research suggests that pharmacy benefit managers are helping to narrow that gap. That's welcomed news for benefit managers who are under the gun to produce cost-containment results ...
Ten techniques for communicating about retirement plans.
May 01, 2008 ... Communicating with employees about their retirement benefits can be a challenge. Varying degrees of investment knowledge, scattered workforces, limited time and busy schedules all conspire to make getting the message across very difficult. Nevertheless, the process is getting ...
New regs impact 403(b)s.
May 01, 2008; ... As traditional pension plans are increasingly being replaced by defined contribution plans, retirement income plan providers will need to adjust their tactics in order to keep up with the ever-changing retirement landscape. "The retirement world has changed, and most people ...
Alpha fees for beta performance.
May 01, 2008 ... Just as the dust is starting to settle over 401(k) fee scrutiny, new research shows performance fees paid by pension funds worldwide are up 50% compared to five years ago, reports Watson Wyatt. "This is obviously a good deal for investment managers, but not necessarily for their ...